5 Unforgettable Vocal Performances by Judy Collins

Songwriters can occasionally be protective about how their songs are performed. But when their material is in the hands of an interpreter as special as Judy Collins, all those fears tend to fade to the background.

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Over the course of an illustrious career, Collins has delivered takes on songs well-known and obscure, covering material by artists both famous and hardly heard. Here are five occasions where her interpretations revealed new depths to the songs she tackled.

“Suzanne” from In My Life (1966)

Collins was one of the first artists to discover the brilliance of Leonard Cohen. In fact, she released “Suzanne” almost two years before Cohen finally got around to doing so on his debut album. And, over the years, she would do wonderful takes on many other Cohen tracks. “Suzanne” is special, though. It’s one of those Cohen songs that sounds as if it were written in ancient times, and Collins treats the song with that kind of dignity. She takes it slow and makes sure that every perfect word is presented with pristine elocution so that they make maximum impact.

“In My Life” from In My Life (1966)

Covering Lennon-McCartney in 1966 must have been a daunting prospect, let alone using one of their songs as a title track. Collins played it smart in choosing a song in “In My Life” that wasn’t a single (hard to believe, but true). As a result, it hadn’t been stamped into the public imagination in the same way as a song such as, for example, “Yesterday.” Remember The Beatles’ version features a rock backbeat. By removing that from the equation and adding some pretty acoustic guitar licks, Collins teases out every last bit of beauty from the words and music.

“Both Sides Now” from Wildflowers (1968)

As was the case with “Suzanne,” Collins got to this song before its writer (Joni Mitchell) could record it. Mitchell apparently had mixed feelings about Collins’ take, even as it brought attention to the songwriter at a time when she wasn’t all that well-known. In Collins’ defense, the baroque pop arrangement required a vocalist who could hold her own amidst all those flourishes. She holds down the center beautifully, finding the nuance in Mitchell’s tale of the changing perspectives that accompany growing older.

“Someday Soon” from Who Knows Where the Time Goes (1969)

Collins’ voice is so ethereal and lovely that it could sound at times like it was coming from someone not of this world. That’s why “Someday Soon” deserves recognition among her interpretations. Her character is as earthbound as it gets, attracted to a ne’er-do-well type who seems to be more devoted to his life in the rodeo than to her. Written by Ian Tyson, it’s not the type of song you might imagine Collins comfortably handling. But she effortlessly captures all the right emotional notes, from the character’s clear infatuation with the cowboy to her sorrow at the fact that he might never be truly hers.

“Send In the Clowns” from Judith (1975)

Collins’ nose for wonderful material guided her to the Broadway stage, as she pilfered “Send In the Clowns” from the musical A Little Night Music. It was a tricky task, considering that people hearing it on her album or the radio wouldn’t have the context of the rest of the show to help it make sense. None of that matters once Collins begins singing over the plaintive piano and strings. She makes the subject matter universal by focusing on the notion of a love foiled by poor timing. Composer Stephen Sondheim had the best of the best from the stage taking on his songs over the years, but it’s hard to imagine that anyone could top what Collins did here.

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